(Montreal) Five days later, they are still in shock. Last Friday, the Canadian women’s water polo team lost their decisive match for their Olympic qualification. A few hours later, South Africa, already qualified for the Games, announced that it was withdrawing from the Olympic tournament, which opened the door to the Canadians.
Met on Tuesday morning at their training place at the Institut national du sport du Québec, Élyse Lemay-Lavoie and Axelle Crevier looked back on these last few days which were a storm of emotions.
The clash against Italy at the World Aquatic Sports Championships was to determine which of the two teams would obtain the last pass for the Paris Games and the Italians finally won 18-12.
The rumor of a South African withdrawal for Paris was already being heard at the Doha World Cup, except that it was just a rumor. Once back at the hotel after the defeat, the Canadian polo players were informed that they had to return to the pool without being entitled to further explanations. Representatives of the international federation (World Aquatics) and the organizing committee of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games then announced to them that they had obtained their place for Paris.
“During those six hours (between the defeat and the announcement of their Olympic qualification), we had a lot of emotions. We thought it would end there and that we had not succeeded,” says Lemay-Lavoie.
“I think we still need a little time to digest the news and get motivated again for Paris. In the end, we’re super happy because that’s what we wanted, but it’s still a lot of mixed emotions, that’s for sure. (…) We were just thinking about what came next and for several of us, it was our last match that we had just experienced. Water polo is everything to us and the ultimate goal is the Olympic Games, so to think that everything is falling apart that day, you go through all the stages of emotions. I have never experienced that in my career or in my life,” adds the 29-year-old athlete.
Sitting next to him, his teammate Axelle Crevier describes the range of feelings that closely resembles the five phases of the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
“It’s really weird to go through so much emotion, disappointment, frustration, acceptance, grief and finally being told: you’re going to the Games. It’s not the fairy tale that athletes would like to have and that’s what hurts the most. That’s not a success story of a qualification. Nobody wants to qualify like that. (…) We couldn’t be happy and celebrate, because we had just lost a few hours before. Everyone experienced different emotions. It was weird. »
Already qualified for Paris before the start of the worlds, South Africa concluded the tournament in 14e rank with a record of 4 defeats, including a 24-2 against Canada, and 1 victory. As for the Canadians, who also included Quebecers Shae La Roche, Serena Browne and Clara Vulpisi in their ranks, they finished in eighth place.
Careers that extend by a few months
PHOTO MARK HUMPHREY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Axelle Crevier
If the team led by Montreal coach David Paradelo did not qualify for the Olympic Games, Axelle Crevier would have immediately drawn a line under her sporting career. Lemay-Lavoie would have followed shortly after.
“I saw Paris as the end for me. It’s going to be again,” admits Crevier with an embarrassed laugh.
The dust has not yet finished settling for the players and if Crevier is happy to know that she will experience her second Games, she also knows that some will question the value of this qualification obtained following the withdrawal of another country. A team which was certainly less strong, but which had qualified as the best team on its continent.
Élyse Lemay-Lavoie believes it too, but it’s what happens next that will be more important to her, especially if she and her teammates want to manage the pressure better than at the World Championships.
“To qualify in that way, the ego takes a hit, but we sure take it, no matter what happens. Lots of things happen in sport and as soon as you fall, you always have to get back up and get motivated again. We believe in it all the time. No one on the team is going to stop believing in it. We earned our vacation, we’re going to rest a little and return to training to work even harder. »
Canadian women are fully aware that they now have a second chance like you rarely get in life, whether you are an athlete or not.
“I will try to live it as my last opportunity and the last tournament that I will play. That’s very motivating for me. It’s full of emotions,” explains Lemay-Lavoie, before pausing and realizing that her sporting career will be behind her in a few months.
“I’m going to enjoy every moment. Often, we escaped (victory) and it slipped through our fingers. There it will be about seizing the moment. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca